Mechanism of Superoxide Mediated Regulation of Particle Uptake and Exocytosis by a GPI-anchored Superoxide Dismutase C in Dictyostelium

Dictyostelium discoideum is a simple model organism that can be used to study endocytic pathways such as phagocytosis and macropinocytosis because of its homology to cells of the mammalian innate immune system, namely macrophages and neutrophils. Consequently, Dictyostelium can also be used to study the process of exocytosis. In our laboratory, we generated Dictyostelium cells lacking superoxide dismutase SodC. Our data suggest that cells that lack SodC are defective in macropinocytosis and exocytosis when compared to wild type cells. In this study I describe a regulatory mechanism of macropinocytosis by SodC via regulation of RasG, which in turn controls PI3K activation and thus macropinocytosis. Our results show that proper metabolism of superoxide is critical for efficient particle uptake, for the proper trafficking of internalized particles, and a timely exocytosis of fluid uptake in Dictyostelium cells

Waveguide Model for Thick Complementary Split Ring Resonators

This paper presents a very simple analytical model for the design of Frequency Selective Surfaces based on Complementary Split Ring Resonators (CSRR) within the microwave range. Simple expressions are provided for the most important geometrical parameters of the model, yielding an accurate description of the CSRR resonance frequency and avoiding full-wave numerical simulations. Besides, a qualitative description of the band-pass filter behavior of these structures is described, considering its high quality factor Q.Comment: Paper accepted at the 2014 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting. paper submission #286

Evaluation of an Electro-Disinfection Technology as an Alternative to Chlorination of Municipal Wastewater Effluents

This research evaluated and demonstrated the disinfection efficiency of an electrochemical system for total coliform removal from wastewater effluents after secondary treatment. Four bench scale batch electrochemical cells were assembled and operated in the laboratory: the first electro-disinfection reactor was set with aluminum electrodes, the second with standard 316 stainless steel electrodes, the third one with titanium electrodes, and the fourth one with a standard 316 stainless steel cathode and a titanium anode. During the electro-disinfection process the water sample was placed on the reactor/disinfector to which direct current (DC) was charged. The results showed that total coliform counts in the treated water decreased significantly and that the characteristics of the effluent were highly improved, especially when stainless steel or titanium electrodes were employed. A bactericidal efficiency of 98.7 % or higher was achieved within a contact time of less than 15 min and a current density lower than 7.5 mA/cm2 when stainless steel electrodes were used, and a contact time of less than 5 min and a current density lower than 3.5 mA/cm2 when the stainless steel/titanium cell was utilized. Electrochlorination does not seem to be the predominant disinfective means of the process. Production of other short lived and more powerful killing substances such as H2O2, [O], •OH, and •HO2 provide the strong disinfecting action of the system within a short contact time. The bactericidal efficiency of the process generally increased with the current density and contact time, and the impact of these factors was much larger than that of salinity. The results obtained suggest that this electrochemical treatment is applicable to wastewater effluents. However, further investigation on the optimum operating conditions and a detailed comparative study of energy consumption by the electrochemical treatment system and the conventional methods are needed before constructing an industrial application system in the future. It is also indispensable to find out if halogenated hydrocarbons and other toxic compounds are produced during the process

The Labyrinth of Data Collection for Humanitarian Project Funding and Implementation

My research concentrates on four NGOs: IOM, IDMC, JIPS, and OCHA which use different tools to collect data and translate the information into evidence for data-driven decision making (DDDM) for the implementation of humanitarian assistance projects. I focus on the importance, advantages, and various data collection tools which help ameliorate the humanitarian sector since it does not have a current professionalized path to enter the workforce. I incorporated four interviews, attended two conferences and analyzed multiple online sources during my project

Inspección y análisis científico de las torres atalaya que defendieron el último reino islámico de la Península Ibérica

The Islamic Nasrid kingdom of Granada occupied the mountainous areas of the south-eastern area of the Iberian Peninsula. The Baetic mountain range worked as a natural frontier between the Nasrid kingdom and the Christian kingdom of Castile from 1232 to 1492. An extensive network of watchtowers was built by Nasrid to control this frontier stablishing visual communication between them and the Nasrid centre at the Alhambra citadel. Many of them are still standing, disperse through the provinces of Granada, Malaga, Almeria and the eastern parts of Jaen, Cordoba and Cadiz. Even being this military architecture protected by Spanish Heritage law, many of these medieval towers and their cultural landscapes are in severe risk. There are studies of individual towers, but any global comparative study has been developed. For this reason, within the framework of the R&D project called ‘Las atalayas que defendieron el reino nazarí de Granada. Análisis y documentación científica (Nazalaya)” (HAR2016-79689-P) financed by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness of Spain, the towers are being studied as individual exemplars as well as components of the same typological group. This generates a complete documentation constituted by a homogenous and exhaustively planimetry which supplements the existing information and enabling comparative analysis. Furthermore complete architectural surveys are being carried out using techniques as photogrammetry. In addition to the analysis of construction systems, the structural safety of these towers is evaluated formulating guidelines for its restoration.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Proyecto del Plan Nacional I+D+i (Programa Estatal de Fomento de la Investigación Científica y Técnica de Excelencia) entitled ‘Las atalayas que defendieron el reino nazarí de Granada. Análisis y documentación científica (Nazalaya)’ (HAR2016-79689-P) Proyecto de Investigación Precompetitivo (mod. A) del Plan Propio de la Universidad de Málaga ‘La construcción de un paisaje: arquitectura de tapial en la Alta Andalucía en el siglo XIII. Estudio y análisis del sistema de torres andalusíes en el valle de Segura de la Sierra’ X Convocatoria de Proyectos de Investigación de la Fundación Pública Andaluza Centro de Estudios Andaluces en la modalidad de proyectos individuales, PRY/259/17 ‘Torres medievales y modernas conservadas en Andalucía. Documentación gráfica, análisis científico e interrelaciones

Gestión Gerencial : La organización como sistema de aprendizaje

La presente investigación de carácter documental tiene como tema gestión empresarial como parte de los ejes de investigación del departamento de administración de empresas de la facultad de ciencias económicas de UNAN Managua y su sub tema la organización como sistema de aprendizaje. Se tiene como objetivo general el analizar la organización como sistema de aprendizaje, por medio de las teorías generales de integración en un sistema, su finalidad, control y entorno en la gestión empresarial. La base teórica que sustenta este informe se hace énfasis en cuatro capítulos tales como la organización como sistema, la organización como sistema de aprendizaje; fines y contenidos del control de gestión, y por último la gestión empresarial. Las técnicas utilizadas para el desarrollo de este informe fueron la lectura y recolección de documentación bibliográfica basado en la gestión empresarial, así mismo la tabulación del informe se hará aplicando las normas APAs 6 de Javeriano. Los resultados o presentación del informe está basado en la normativa de presentación de seminario de graduación plan 2013 de la UNAN Managua. Los principales términos descriptores del informe, son la introducción, justificación, objetivos del informe, introducción del tema y sub tema, conclusiones y bibliografía

Heat fluxes between the Guadalquivir river and the Gulf of Cádiz Continental Shelf

An 18-year time series of daily sea surface temperature of Gulf of Cadiz and an 18-month time series of temperature collected in the vicinity of the Guadalquivir estuary mouth have been analyzed to investigate the heat exchange between the estuary and the adjacent continental shelf. The first time identifies a continental shelf area where seasonal thermal oscillation signal (amplitudes and phase) changes abruptly. In order to explain this anomaly, the second data set allows a description of thermal fluctuations in a wide range of frequencies and an estimation of the upstream heat budget of the Guadalquivir estuary. Results show that high frequency thermal signal, diurnal and semidiurnal, and water flux signal through Guadalquivir mouth, mainly semidiurnal, apparently interact randomly to give a small exchange of thermal energy at high frequency. There is no trace, at the estuary's mouth, of daily heat exchanges with intertidal mudflats probably because it tends to cancel on daily time scales. Results also show that fluctuations of estimated air-sea fluxes force fluctuations of temperature in a quite homogeneous estuarine, with a delay of 20 days. The along-channel thermal energy gradient reaches magnitudes of 300-400 J m-4 near the mouth during the summer and winter and drives the estuary-shelf exchange of thermal energy at seasonal scale. Particularly, the thermal heat imported by the estuary from the shelf area during late fall-winter-early spring of 2008/2009 is balanced by the thermal heat that the estuary exports to the shelf area during late spring-summer of 2008. In summary, Guadalquivir river removes/imports excess of thermal energy towards/from the continental shelf seasonally, as a mechanism to accommodate excess of heat from one side respect to the other side.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Autoridad Portuaria de Sevilla (APS

Relación de pares y adaptación a la universidad factores de éxito en la adaptación universitaria

El presente estudio con enfoque cuantitativo de aproximación descriptiva, buscó caracterizar las actitudes que asumieron los jóvenes frente a las relaciones de pares en el proceso de adaptación universitaria, igualmente se buscó identificar las tendencias en cuanto al sexo, al semestre y a la ciudad de origen. La población del estudio estuvo compuesta por 60 estudiantes, entre hombres y mujeres, mayores de edad, pertenecientes a la facultad de Psicología de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá. El instrumento que se utilizó para la recolección de los datos fue el Cuestionario para Caracterizar las actitudes el cual es inédito. Una vez analizados los datos, se encontró que, en general, los estudiantes asumieron con una actitud positiva en su proceso de adaptación a la vida universitaria gracias a la participación en el grupo de pares.The present study with quantitative approach of descriptive approximation, search to characterize the attitudes that young persons assumed hi the relations of couples in the process of university adjustment, also identify the trends as for the sex, the semester and the city of origin. The population of the study was composed by 60 students, man and women, major of age, belonging to Psychology at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana of Bogotá. The instrument used for the compilation of the information was the Questionnaire to characterize the attitudes which is unpublished. Once analyzed the information, was found that, in general, the students had a positive attitude in their process of adjustment to the university life.Psicólogo (a)Pregrad

O papel da arquitectura paisagista na recuperação de pedreiras. Aplicação a uma pedreira no concelho de Cascais

Mestrado em Arquitectura Paisagista - Instituto Superior de AgronomiaThis study was developed to present a solution on the neglect and disinterest of decommissioned quarries. This study primary aim is to raise awareness and raise environmental and aesthetic importance of their recovery with the creation of a rehabilitation project. The quarries are striking enough elements in the landscape, both for its visual and environmental impact. When deactivated lose its industrial/economic interests and end up falling into neglect. Although the current legislation obligates these explorations to have a rehabilitation plan, the impact and consequences that they generate are still high. The practical case study focuses on the deactivated quarry of Birre, in the municipality of Cascais, which deals with high demographic pressure caused by a growing population, therefor requires ecological strategies to ensure adequate and sustainable use of space. These strategies must safeguard its natural value, historic-cultural value and of its landscape depending on the site characteristics to serve the population of the adjacent neighborhoods in an effective way. As such the program for the rehabilitation project of this quarry will be vast and considering the user need